Ceyline attracts giant Chinese shipping line for weekly service to Colombo Port

• CSCL ships plying West African route to stop over in Colombo 
• Mediterranean, South American and European routes to follow
• CSCL increasing presence in Indian subcontinent
• Reduction in freight 
• charges anticipated with improved container traffic

Panel from left: Ceyline Group of Companies Group Managing Director Capt. Ajith Peiris, Ceyline Group of Companies Chairman Hemantha Jayanetti and China Shipping Container Lines Director/General Manager Mevan Peiris – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

By Channa Fernandopulle China Shipping Container Lines Ltd. (CSCL) in partnership with its local agent Ceyline Shipping Container Lines Ltd. recently commenced a weekly service to the Colombo Port. The inclusion of the Colombo Port along the CSCL West African trade route is part of a concerted effort to increase the shipping line’s presence within the Indian subcontinent and is touted to improve transhipment container traffic within the port while creating employment opportunities for companies and professionals engaged in the marine sector. “CSCL is one of the top 10 international shipping lines and over the years they have increased the size of both their ships and their fleet tremendously. As part of our efforts to promote the Colombo Port as a hub servicing the Indian subcontinent, Ceyline has been working together with CSCL agents in India to attract more CSCL ships to call at the Colombo Port. “With the successful expansion of the Colombo Port through the Colombo International Container Terminal and the new terminal being constructed by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, we have drastically improved capacity of the Colombo Port and we will continue to work closely with CSCL and their agents to attract more ships into the country moving forward,” Ceyline Group Chairman Hemantha Jayanetti stated. Noting that the advanced capacity of the Colombo Port following recent expansions – in terms of both infrastructure capacity and harbour depth - has allowed operators to deliver levels of service unmatched by other regional ports including those in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, Jayanetti stated that the Colombo Port is becoming an increasingly attractive destination and could well serve as a gateway to the Indian market. In that context, Jayanetti further stated that efforts are already underway to encourage CSCL to have more ships call on the Colombo Port, including two ships plying CSCL’s Mediterranean and South American trade routes within the next six months to a year. “In the future we are targeting the European service to call on Colombo as well. Given that most of Sri Lanka’s exports go to Europe and the United States, such a service will bring several benefits to Sri Lanka’s export sector. “With the increased traffic as a result of CSCL’s expansion into the Indian subcontinent, we will also see a drastic increase in the competitiveness of industry which will help to bring down freight costs which in turn will add far-reaching benefits to the wider national economy,” Jayanetti elaborated. He further noted that Ceyline too would be looking to expand its sales and operational staff to match the anticipated increase in container traffic to the Colombo Port. “Once the final phases of expansion at the Colombo Port have been completed, we believe that our infrastructure and capacity requirements will largely be set to cater to business for at least another two decades. “In that time we believe that shipping agents like Ceyline will have a crucial role to play in terms of promoting the Colombo Port to international shipping lines like CSCL. If we can succeed in this endeavour the positive effects for the national and even the regional economy will be tremendous. This is the start of a new era for the marine industry,” Jayanetti enthused.